Samsung asks court to mask details of Qualcomm settlement
Electronics giant says disclosure of previously confidential details could "irreparably harm" its business.
Samsung filed an emergency motion on Wednesday asking a federal court to redact details of its settlement with chipmaker Qualcomm that were "inadvertently" made public late Tuesday.
The "highly sensitive and confidential" details had previously been under seal but were disclosed as part of ruling that found Qualcomm illegally hurt competitors in the wireless chip market, Samsung said in its motion (see below).
Samsung said the public disclosure of its $100 million settlement last year with Qualcomm would "irreparably harm" its "business advantage," possibly allowing competitors to use the information to negotiate similar or better settlement terms with Qualcomm.
Samsung said it's reviewing Tuesday's ruling by US District Court Judge Lucy Koh, which runs more than 230 pages, to determine whether other previously sealed confidential information from the settlement had been inadvertently disclosed and needed resealing.
The details were included in a long-awaited ruling issued late Tuesday that found Qualcomm used its dominant position to force unnecessary licensing fees on handset makers like Apple . Koh said Qualcomm's licensing practices "strangled competition" in the modem chip markets for years, harming rivals and consumers in the process.
Koh's ruling requires Qualcomm to change its business practices and renegotiate the license agreements it has with customers.
Samsung didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Samsung motion in FTC-Qualcomm lawsuit by jonathan_skillings on Scribd